Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Sometimes the best laid plans goes really wrong, through no real fault of anyone.
I had a pick-up to do and had set my alarm for 2 warnings. The first one went as I was dropping off a job
then in an instant another job came in.
Now I should have cancelled the new job as it had come in without me wanting it
BUT I figured that it might be a shortie and it may be going in the same direction.
Boy was I wrong.Then everywhere the traffic was stopped and try as I could I couldn't get back.
Just as the traffic loosened out I got a call and a heap of abuse from my original booking.
She was right, somehow I should have cancelled the other call and looked after her .
But I cruised on towards her address anyhow, I was there in 10 minutes then as I was coming out of her address her new HailO cab turned into her street.

Then we were busy 4 dudes waved me down, I had a feeling."Have you booked another taxi?"I said."Yes we booked Uber"My car is branded head to to toe for HailO."Don't wave down anyone when you have a booking. Its very busy now, by the way Uber has surge charging"When it's busy you pay 3 or 5 times the rate.So off I went.

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Sometimes the best laid plans goes really wrong, through no real fault of anyone.
I had a pick-up to do and had set my alarm for 2 warnings. The first one went as I was dropping off a job
then in an instant another job came in.
Now I should have cancelled the other job as it had come in without me wanting it
BUT I figured that it might be a shortie and it may be going in the same direction.
Boy was I wrong, everywhere the traffic was stopped and try as I could I couldn't get back.
Just as the traffic loosened out I got a call and a heap of abuse from my booking.
She was right, somehow I should have cancelled the other call.
But I cruised on towards her address,I was there in 10 minutes then as I was coming out her address her
new HailO cab turned into her street.

When we were busy 4 dudes waved me down, I had a feeling.
"Have you booked another taxi?"
"Yes we booked Uber"
My car is branded head to to for HailO.
"Don't wave down anyone when you have a booking.Its very busy now, by the way Uber has surge
charging"
When it's busy you pay 3 or 5 times the rate.

Then this girl with soft voice arrived and you just knew she was a star.

Éabha McMahon

Éabha began her singing career at 9 years of age, when she was
chosen by Veritas to record an album
for the children’s book, Beo go
Deo. She then began singing in the traditional sean nós style, taught
by
famous singers such as Máire Ní Choilm, Séamus Mac Mathúna, Moya
Brennan, and Íde
Mac Mathúna. Éabha went on to win the under-18 All
Ireland Oireachtais final at the age of 15, she
was reigning Leinster
champion from the age of 13 to 17 in the Fleadh Ceoil, and five time
Dublin
champion in the Fairview Feis Ceoil age 14-18.
At the age of 15, Éabha was appproached to audition for Anúna, (the
Original Riverdance choir) and
in 2005, Éabha became the youngest member
to join Anúna. In 2006, she went on tour to the US
where the Anúna
Christmas Memories DVD was recorded for PBS and reached the top 10 in
the
Billboard charts that year. She also went on tour to Holland and
Germany, as well as singing in venues
such as the National Concert Hall,
Dublin Castle, Stormont, Farmleigh House and Kilmainham Jail.
In 2015, Éabha headlined a sold out solo show in New York City, in
aid of Kylemore Abbey. She is
currently developing her first solo album
which she will be releasing in 2016.
Éabha is a fluent Irish speaker and was brought up singing and
speaking Irish at home in Dublin.
Éabha is delighted to begin this new
journey and she is very proud to be representing her Irish roots
with
Celtic Woman.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Some people get into the taxi and tell you the most fantastic story's about their lives.
Others will hardly tell you where they are going.
So it was today when I did a U turn an picked this fantastic lady outside James's St hospital going to Beggars bush.
After a bit of banter she started to open up. "The Polish people are only doing what we had to do when we were young. I left home when I was 16 and I worked in London. I left with a pal and we got a job as auxiliary nurses in a hospice run by the nuns.
There was 17 in our house and no money. So as the oldest I was the first to go and I sent every penny home. We also got a job as barmaids in a dance hall at night, we worked hard.
The other girl was very hard to get up in the morning and try as I might she made me late for work a lot of the time.
Not surprising as we finished our bar jobs at 2.00am
Then one day I couldn't get her up so I went into work alone.
I said that the other girl was poorly and I was called into the office.
To cut a story short she got the sack and then she asked me to leave as well, the matron drew me aside and said that if I didn't break the link with her she would drag me down and I would go nowhere.
So young and foolish I quit as well.
We went into a McDonalds and as were talking I noticed that one of the girls working there had an Irish accent, she was from Carlow. I asked her if there was any work around and she helped us.
She brought us around to a big hotel in Oxford Circus, just like that, we were in luck.
Chamber maids living in! The next day we were issued with uniforms. On the first day of work I went into wake Mary up and she wouldn't stir..

Fuck this for a game of soldiers I said.

I went to work and she got the sack on her first day.

I worked there for 12 years.
Then (She gave me the date and time) I got into the lift on the 6th floor with my supervisor. There was a big mirror opposite wall of the lift and I glanced into it.
Then there was a horrific bang and I woke up in hospital 8 weeks later.
The lift had collapsed, we had fallen 6 floors and survived..
She recited broken pelvis, ribs back shoulder all her teeth gone fractured skull etc etc
She spent time in a metal cage supporting her injurys,
Later she was shipped back to the rehab unit in Dunlaoighre.
The specialist there said that she could forget about ever walking again so take it from there.

Fuck him I said..

So I went from a wheelchair to a zimmer frame to crutches then to 2 walking sticks to 1 stick and here I am today, no sticks.

I have more metal in my body than a bicycle.

God must have had something in line for me when he didn't take me that day.

As I said some people will hardly give you their destinationOthers will give your their entire life's history.She was a real gold nugget

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

A lady from Bolivia got into my taxi. She had missed her flight, and was stuck. So I brought her to a cheap ish hotel near the airport. She works in Turkey. So I don't know which flight she missed.

"Look have this trip on me" I said

She told me how much she loves Ireland.
Very few people would look out for each other as the Irish do.

I often brought home lame ducks and my wife put her foot down as it upsets the household.
No more strays or waifs is the rule.
She was a nice girl though.

Last Sunday was a national day of mourning for the dead on Irish roads 600 or more die every year.
We will remember at least 2 each.
Let it not be your turn next to kill or be killed.

I picked up a guy going to Monkstown, Right here I said
No!
Then right here so. No came the reply again.
As we reached Brewrey Rd he said.
"Where the hell are you taking me?"
So we swung around..
Left here ? No!
Then its left here? No!
We were back where we started and he says."If you don't know where you are bloodywell going you should use the sat nav!"

Have a nice day...

All joking aside one small member our extended family got a real kick in the backside last week.Little Timothy a bright healthy 8 year old was taken into hospital with suspected Leukemia.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Tonight the moon will be closest to us than it has been since 1948,So find a break in the clouds and take a look..Unless you are a weir wolf that is.

Strange things happen, 2 of my local coffee shops closed and I remembered that the guy who owned "The Loft" on Graften St also own a shop on Merrion row and another at the Point complex.
So I popped in.
What a welcome the girl gave me. She came around from behind the counter and gave me a nice big hug and a kiss. Mauritian people are wonderful.
I must go there for a while.

Work is picking up for Christmas and though the extra money is great I will look forward to January and February the "Herring days"when we rest up for a while.

At one of the gates coming out of Dublin port there was a grotto with the Virgin Mary.

Well our Muslim brothers it is alleged have told the Dublin Port people to take it away.
So it has been taken away.
The refugees have fled from countries which showed no tolerance for minority people.
Now they are trying to press their intolerance on us.

This is a very dangerous game which is starting.

A group of Muslim vigilantes who were taunting English girls about their short skirts got an awful beating from local youths, In France riots have happened and Muslim women have had their veils torn off and burned.

USA elections ! What an event that was.
It reminds me of the time we voted to reject the Mastricht treaty.
We voted NO and we had to vote again, until we got a YES.

Work wise I have been like a bumble bee going from job to job.
If you are a taxi driver you can work mornings, afternoon, evenings and nights.
Each shift is different especially nights with drunks and runners.

So it came to pass that I got a job to a place where you need to have a pass to pick up a passenger?

A guy rang over."Take me to Crumlin and back here again QUICK !"
Straight through the port tunnel over through South Circular Rd up to Drimnagh to pick up his passport.
Then back again.
Something like €70 plus tolls.
One thing for sure is that he will never forget his passport again.

Once I had a girl (repeat story) from Venezuela going to the airport from Adelaide Rd it was on Sunday.. When we arrived at the airport she said "My sister has my wallet and my credit cards, go back to her and get them for me"
She didn't even have her fone but I said that the best thing to do was to ring her sister and ask her to come out with the wallet and I would collect the taxi fare from her tomorrow,
If I had done the return trip it would add €60 to the taxi fare and she would probably miss her flight.
Happy days!
Good job well done.

The next day 8.30 I rang her sister No reply
9.30.12.00 no reply
4.pm nothing

I rang a few more times and at 10 pm I sent her a text.

"I brought your sister to the airport and I could have brought her back to you to collect her wallet.
By coming back I would have made an extra €60!
But by chance she would probably have missed her flight.
So today you are playing smart with me by not answering your fone and shafting me for my taxi fare.

I hope there is a God"

Then I turned off my mobile.

The next morning I had a text THE REPLY SAID

"My battery was flat, come, and I will pay you"

You just don't know.

I went to a play last night by the Sheridan brothers Jim and Peter
Meet the Quare fellow
About the life and death of Brendan Behan it's great stuff, but not comedy.Click here

Friday, November 04, 2016

In Smithfield "Brown bag films" Click here Home to 80+ cartoonists and 3 company dogs.

Well there go all the witches hookers nurses and vampires gone for another year.

Business is picking up, at least for the weekend it did.
But you can only do one job at a time for sure.

One guy from Canada really threw me.
A girl walked past with a dazed expression.
"Another wasted life" I said
"My 2 kids are drug addicts, I haven't seen them for years.
They just made bad decisions"
Its not what you want to hear.
But in his favor you sometimes have to break away from bad situations so they won't drag you down
Dublin is packed with drug dealers and addicts.
Methadone clinics are all over the place.
They give them Heroin to keep crime down. Outside the clinics they deal drugs and so it goes on.
I cannot understand why anyone would stick a needle in their arm and poison themselves, knowing what the outcome will be.
One guy in the taxi once gave me his business card and told me that when I cracked that one to call him and we would lecture the people in every country in the world.
"Even the best brains cannot crack that one"

When I was going away I posted away my motor tax papers to renew my tax disc, on my return I had my PSV license and a receipt, I though that the tax discs had been done away with, but I checked.
Then I rang the motor tax office. The lady checked and told me that the license had not been issued.
But I would have to have a form stamped by the Garda to get a duplicate tax disc.
The point that it had not been issued at all means nothing to her.
But I had to follow the rules.
The next day I had the form stamped and went into the tax office. At 3.25 PM they closed the door in my face. ( Closing time is 3.30)
So On Tuesday I went back in and I was seen in a few minutes.

Sometimes you have to wonder what it is all about.

Yesterday the quays were blocked with rickshaws No tax No insurance No income tax No papers of any sort.
Wait until someone gets killed. Then we will see what happens.

Its a ticking time bomb.

One wise old lady told me
"Leave no money for your kids
Leave them debts !
When they have paid them off they will remember you forever.
Give them money and they will spend it and forget you"